


A Little Something Extra

by AithuzahFic (veritably_mad)



Series: Healthy Friendships Prompts [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 16:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3657852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veritably_mad/pseuds/AithuzahFic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Gwen’s teaching me to make pastries,” said Merlin.</p><p>“Um,” said Gwen.</p><p>“She’s a very good teacher.”</p><p>“I’m really not.”</p><p>“Well, Audrey refused to let any of her chefs teach me, so I had to make do. This is all her fault, if you’re going to blame anyone.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Something Extra

**Author's Note:**

> Written on [tumblr](http://aithuzah.tumblr.com/post/115186862746/how-about-an-au-where-merlin-suddenly-craves) for [acciowintershield](http://acciowintershield.tumblr.com/) for [this series](http://aithuzah.tumblr.com/tagged/healthyfriendships).

“Morgana, where are you—”

“Hush. You’ll see.”

Morgana dragged Arthur along the castle corridors, her fingers tight around his wrist, almost giddy with glee thinking of what her brother was about to witness. Oh, his _face_ when he saw—

“Isn’t this the way to the kitchens?”

She rolled her eyes and didn’t answer. She felt his step become just a touch more willing, though, and she suppressed a laugh. Of course Arthur would be more interested if the prospect of food was involved, despite his wariness of the cook’s harsh tongue and heavy Ladle of Reprimand, both of which had sent him scurrying away with ringing ears and stinging hands as a round-cheeked child.

Arthur denied ever being a chubby little boy with greedy fingers and a bit of clumsiness with a sword, but Morgana knew better. She made sure Gwen and Merlin knew it, too. It was good for Arthur to have more than one person in his life who could reduce him to embarrassed, blushing speechlessness or choked protests.

They heard the scene inside the kitchen before they saw it. Morgana could feel Arthur’s suspicious eyes on her face, but she didn’t meet them. His pace quickened until he passed her and pushed into the room before she made it to the door. She hurried after him to see the reaction.

A broad section of countertop in a relatively out-of-the-way corner of the kitchens had been sectioned off for Gwen and Merlin’s antics, and the rest of the kitchen staff avoided it with either amusement or distaste. Like he had been when Morgana left, Merlin was covered head-to-toe with baking flour, but now he had a cracked egg dripping down his front, as well. Gwen’s dress and dark curls and were dusted with white, too, and she had a smudge on her nose that was _clearly_ Merlin’s doing. A mess of ingredients covered the table – not always in their respective containers, or any container at all.

“Eggs!” shouted a woman on the other end of the room. Merlin waved his one free hand while the other gripped a bowl to steady it as Gwen stirred and poured in a few drops of oil. A padded basket filled with eggs rose from the chaos in front of them and shot across the kitchens, narrowly avoiding collisions with the pans and herbs that hung from the rafters, and the woman plucked it out of the air without giving it more than a cursory glance.

Gwen searched their disaster of a workspace. “Milk!” she yelled, and a young man – probably an apprentice – hefted a jug above his head.

“Here!”

Merlin twisted his head around to look for it, and now Morgana could see his eyes flare gold as he called it to them with a sure tug of magic.

Arthur’s mouth hung open in dumbfounded shock and horror. He hadn’t said a word since they arrived. Morgana expected they had all fled his head, as they often did. There wasn’t much use for them in there, after all.

Finally, though, he found his voice, raising it above the clamor. “What the _hell_ are you two doing?”

Gwen and Merlin jumped and looked over their shoulders. The milk jug froze near Merlin’s ear, and he grabbed it out of the air just as it started to drop. Some of the milk sloshed onto his sleeve. Gwen’s face wavered between guilt, embarrassment, and amusement.

“Gwen’s teaching me to make pastries,” said Merlin.

“Um,” said Gwen.

“She’s a very good teacher.”

“I’m really not.”

“Well, Audrey refused to let any of her chefs teach me, so I had to make do. This is all her fault, if you’re going to blame anyone.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be banned from the kitchens?” Arthur demanded.

Merlin scoffed. “Please, as if they could make that stick.” With a devilish grin, he flicked his flour-coated fingers at the king. The powder took a magic-powered leap onto his bright red tunic, which was soon matched by Arthur’s face.

 _Gods_ , this was perfect. Morgana had to restrain herself from clapping her hands at the delightful entertainment of it all.

Before Arthur could start in on effective use of food and resources, Morgana hooked her arm with his and pulled him to the table alongside the other two.

“Why, Gwen, there’s room for a few more students, isn’t there? We’d _love_ to take advantage of your expertise. Arthur and I could use a few more practical skills. Couldn’t we, brother dear?”

“I—”

“Great!” Merlin chirped, cutting him off and shoving the milk jug against his chest. A few drops of it joined the flour on his shirt. “We’d love to have you. Arthur, you can pour this – it’s called _milk_ , great for cooking, comes from cows – and Morgana, you can help Gwen with the salt and sugar.”

The three of them crowded around Arthur, trapping him at the counter, and finally, the tension in his spine drooped into resigned acceptance of his fate. He tried to keep his face stern, but a grin pushed its way to the surface and he shook his head.

Gwen forgot that she was ordering around royalty after a bare moment. The amount of time she spent stammering apologies grew less and less by the day, and it made Morgana’s heart warm to see her confident and sure of herself.

Gwen directed the three of them through two more recipes before Gwaine wandered in with the intention to steal a few sweet rolls.

“You all decided to make a mess and no one invited me? I’m wounded,” he said when he saw them. At that point, although Morgana had had the sense to use an apron, even she had managed to dip her sleeves in the mix at one point and trod on a dropped slab of butter at another.

Gwaine slung his arms around Gwen and Arthur’s shoulders, earning a giggle from one and an eye-roll from the other. “So! What are we making?”

“‘We’? Don’t you have anyone to harass in some other part of the castle, Gwaine?” Arthur drawled.

“Ah, but I’ve got the four most beautiful people in Camelot right here. Why would I go anywhere else?”

“We’re making Payn Puffs,” Gwen interrupted as Merlin ducked his head, grinning. “If you’re going to help, you can rub the butter into the flour.”

She slid the bowl in front of him, and to the others’ surprise, he started in with surprising surety and skill. Merlin, who was doing the same with another batch, looked up from his cheerful but inefficient kneading to the swift work Gwaine’s hands were making of the mix.

 Gwaine noticed their curious gazes, but he didn’t stop. “What? Can’t a man rub his butter in peace?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Gwaine, do you know how to bake?” Gwen asked slowly.

“Needn’t look so shocked about it. I’m a multi-talented fellow, I’ll have you know.”

Gwaine reached for the eggs and deftly cracked four of them into the small bowl they’d kept for beating the yolks. Pouring the yolks in with the rest, he paused and gave Merlin and Morgana a considering look.

“So, got any love potions we could slip in here?”

Merlin sniffed, turning up his nose in offense. “That’s immoral,” he said righteously. After a moment, his lips curled into a mischievous smile, and he caught Morgana’s eye. She smirked in answer.

“…But I’m sure we can find a little something _extra_ to add,” she finished for him.

“I’m not hearing this,” Arthur said.

“I’m not sure how this will affect the recipe...” Gwen added.

Gwaine only grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: how about an AU where Merlin suddenly craves learning how to make pastries so he seeks help from Gwen and then Morgana - upon seeing them- gets curious so she joins in too dragging Arthur with her~ bonus if you can throw some magic and potions and plot twist coming from Gwaine ~(‾⌣‾~) [im sorry this if this is too long *eeeps* thank you!~]
> 
> The Gwaine "plot twist" probably wasn't as big as you were imagining, heh.
> 
>  
> 
> Kudos, comments, and constructive critiques are always welcome and much appreciated.
> 
> (I'm greedy for feedback, I admit it.)


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